I thank the Minister of State for being in the House this afternoon to take this Commencement matter in relation to Merlin Woods in County Galway.

Merlin Woods is a place of sanctuary for many people, both physically and mentally. It is also the habitat of many animals. It is regrettable that, in the past few weeks, Galway City Council has commenced the felling of 3.5 acres of trees in Merlin Woods. We understand that a number of the trees fell during Storm Éowyn and the removal of those trees is essential but felling 3.5 acres is beyond belief. It is not going to stop at 3.5 acres - 8.5 acres of felling will take place. It is hard to believe those trees were planted in 1960 by Coillte. It was a commercial decision to plant them. It then fell under the remit of Galway County Council and afterwards the city council. When it came to the decision process and communication, it all fell to Galway City Council.

Councillors in the local area have no say whatsoever in relation to the felling of the trees. I understand about the fallen trees from a health and safety perspective. Coming from Portumna where there are 1,500 acres of forestry at my back door, I completely understand. However, I do not understand the idea of felling trees when any of us who know Merlin Woods know that it is a sanctuary for walkers, runners and those who just need a quiet space.

In that regard, it was disappointing that, when the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, was called upon to take responsibility and flex its muscles when it came to statutory powers, it had none because the response of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage was that the NPWS did not have any statutory responsibility in relation to the management of Merlin Woods. At the end of the day, if a farmer was cutting down trees or burning at the back of their field, the NPWS would not be long finding its statutory responsibility.

This has a lot to do with biodiversity as well. While I have talked about the humans, I will also talk about a lot of the nature that lives within Merlin Woods. There is the red squirrel, which is a protected species by any manner or means. A cricket cannot normally move when you cross the Shannon, but there was no problem here in tearing into taking down the trees, with no consideration whatsoever for the natural habitat. I find it a little bit irksome that the NPWS could not have worked with the local authority and supported the local community as well as listened to the elected representatives on the ground. The fact that the voice of local representatives was null and void in this whole transaction is very disingenuous.

This morning when I was coming up, I noticed that the traffic had gone beyond Bóthar na dTreabh. It has gone out to the N6 today. When the ring road is built, this will be people's only sanctuary. People have to realise that, in Galway, the sea is to our back. Galway is built up in the middle and there is only one green space. That is Merlin Woods. What we are doing today is just carving it down. Where are people going to find their sanctuary?

I thank Senator Rabbitte for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan.

Ireland's National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 provides the overarching framework for the protection and restoration of biodiversity. The national biodiversity action plan, NBAP, sets out Ireland's whole-of-government approach to halting and reversing biodiversity loss and fulfilling our national, European and international commitments on nature conservation. The plan includes a comprehensive suite of actions aimed at protecting, restoring and enhancing habitats and species across the country, including native woodland habitats and the biodiversity they support. Its implementation involves Departments, State agencies, local authorities and other stakeholders working together to improve biodiversity outcomes and strengthen the resilience of ecosystems.

Ireland is also progressing with the implementation of the EU nature restoration regulation, which establishes legally binding nature restoration targets across a range of ecosystems. A draft national nature restoration plan has recently been submitted to the European Commission. The nature restoration plan, developed on a whole-of-government basis under the co-ordination of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, sets out the measures through which Ireland intends to meet its restoration obligations and improve the condition and resilience of ecosystems. The draft nature restoration plan sets out proposed measures for the restoration of a range of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, including forests and woodlands. These measures are intended to contribute to the recovery of nature, improve ecosystem resilience, support climate adaptation and enhance the ecosystem services upon which society and the economy depend.

Ireland has an extensive network of protected areas designated under national and European legislation. Our network of terrestrial special areas of conservation, SACs, and special protection areas, SPAs, has been assessed as sufficient to fulfil Ireland's obligations under the EU habitats and birds directives and to contribute to the European Natura 2000 network. In addition to sites protected under EU legislation, Ireland has a range of national nature conservation designations under the Wildlife Acts, including natural heritage areas, NHAs. The designation of NHAs is guided by scientific assessment and established selection criteria, and these national designations complement Ireland's wider network of protected areas and broader biodiversity conservation measures.

The focus of nature conservation policy is therefore on maintaining and improving the condition of protected habitats and species and supporting wider biodiversity conservation and restoration measures across the landscape.

With specific regard to Merlin Woods, which the Senator referenced earlier and in the title of her Commencement matter, the site is owned and managed by Galway City Council, as the Senator said. The council, therefore, has a key role in the stewardship and day-to-day management of the woodland, including the protection and enhancement of its biodiversity, natural heritage and amenity value. The local biodiversity action fund, LBAF, operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of housing, provides support to local authorities in delivering projects that contribute to the objectives of the national biodiversity action plan. Through the LBAF, funding is provided to local authorities across the country, including Galway City Council, to develop and implement projects that protect, enhance and restore biodiversity at a local level.

I will bring the specific points the Senator raised to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan.

I thank the Minister of State. His closing lines summed it up. It is the role of the NPWS. Unfortunately, in its commentary and that of Galway City Council, no engagement seems to have been done by either of the two organisations locally. I appreciate the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will bring it to the attention of Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, but I ask the latter to intervene and to talk to the NPWS and, in his role in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to the city council. I ask that communication and dialogue be immediately stood up.

At the end of the day, the Minister of State's reply is exactly the answer I hoped he would give today about biodiversity. He gave chapter and verse about why I am standing here talking about biodiversity because that is absolutely what I understood the role of the NPWS to be. I am grateful for the Minister of State's answer today and I absolutely applaud him for bringing back my concerns and looking for the intervention of the other Minister of State with the two authorities.

Once again, I thank Senator Rabbitte for bringing forward for discussion this issue, which I am taking on behalf of Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, the Minister of State with responsibility for nature, heritage and biodiversity. Conservation of biodiversity requires action in protected areas and across the wider landscape. Under the implementation of the national biodiversity action plan 2023-2030 and the forthcoming national nature restoration plan, the Government is pursuing a range of measures to protect, restore and enhance habitats and species throughout the State. These efforts are supported by partnership between national and local government, community groups, landowners and other stakeholders. The Department, through the NPWS, will continue to work with the relevant bodies to advance biodiversity conservation objectives and to support the long-term protection and restoration of Ireland's natural heritage. No doubt, the Department and the Minister of State will be keeping an eye on the debate today and on the particular matters the Senator raised. As I said, I will bring them to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, and the Department.

While we wait for the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, I welcome our guest, Mr. Chandy Oommen who is a member of the Kerala legislative assembly in India and a guest of Senator Joe O'Reilly. It is nice to meet him and I hope he enjoys his visit. It is good to see other public representatives visit our Parliament.